Oak Lawn Cemetary on Bronson Road in Fairfield, Conn. is closed to the public for the private funeral of actress Mary Tyler Moore on Sunday, January 29, 2017. Signs left by a fan of the actress decorate the cemetary fence. less

Oak Lawn Cemetary on Bronson Road in Fairfield, Conn. is closed to the public for the private funeral of actress Mary Tyler Moore on Sunday, January 29, 2017. Signs left by a fan of the actress decorate the ... more

Debra Capperune drove over fifteen hours from her home in Peoria, Illinois to show her love for actress Mary Tyler Moore outside her private funeral service at Oak Lawn Cemetary on Bronson Road in Fairfield, Conn. on Sunday, January 29, 2017. less

Debra Capperune drove over fifteen hours from her home in Peoria, Illinois to show her love for actress Mary Tyler Moore outside her private funeral service at Oak Lawn Cemetary on Bronson Road in Fairfield, ... more

Moore who died on Wednesday, was laid to rest at Oaklawn Cemetery in Fairfield, Conn. on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017.

Moore who died on Wednesday, was laid to rest at Oaklawn Cemetery in Fairfield, Conn. on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017.

Photo: Vince Bucci / Associated Press

Image 18 of 55

Mary Tyler Moore, who delighted a generation of Americans with her energetic comic performances, died January 25, 2017, was laid to rest at Oaklawn Cemetery in Fairfield, Conn. on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017.

Mary Tyler Moore, who delighted a generation of Americans with her energetic comic performances, died January 25, 2017, was laid to rest at Oaklawn Cemetery in Fairfield, Conn. on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017.

Mary Tyler Moore smiling as she stands next to her husband, Grant Tinker, at a party at Chasen's nightclub, Hollywood, California, 1971.

Mary Tyler Moore smiling as she stands next to her husband, Grant Tinker, at a party at Chasen's nightclub, Hollywood, California, 1971.

Photo: Frank Edwards/Getty Images

Image 53 of 55

American actress Mary Tyler Moore (as Mary Richards) sits at her desk, hand on her chin, and looks thoughtful in a scene from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

American actress Mary Tyler Moore (as Mary Richards) sits at her desk, hand on her chin, and looks thoughtful in a scene from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

Photo: CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Image 54 of 55

Mary Tyler Moore.

Mary Tyler Moore.

Photo: CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Image 55 of 55

Mary Tyler Moore laid to rest Sunday in Fairfield

1 / 55

Back to Gallery

FAIRFIELD — Debra Capperrune was so devastated after learning of the death of Mary Tyler Moore last week that she left her home in Peoria, Ill., and drove 15 hours to attend the iconic actress’ Connecticut funeral.

“I didn’t stop, drove straight through,” Capperrune said on Sunday while standing at the entrance to Oak Lawn Cemetery, where the television and movie star was laid to rest during a subdued ceremony attended by about 50 friends and family.

A Greenwich resident and Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated actress, Moore died Wednesday at the age of 80. She was best known for her roles in the TV sitcoms “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”

Her portrayal of Mary Richards, a 30-something television news producer and single woman, dominated ratings in the 1970s and made her a role model for generations of women and a household name. The show’s opening credits featured Mary tossing her cap in a twirling motion as the song “Love is All Around” played in the background.

The theme memorably concluded with the lyrics “You’re gonna make it after all” — which became a touchstone for a generation of women. For Capperrune, “Love is All Around” was inseparable from her love for Moore, and her need to pay her respects to the beloved star.

“I cried for two days and I then said, ‘Let’s go,’ ” Capperrune explained. “I grew up with her and just loved her. I must have played ‘Love is All Around’ a thousand times since her death.”

Although Capperrune arrived at the cemetery in time for the funeral, the service was private and the cemetery was closed to the public, with local police officers blocking the entrance. The cemetery opened to the public early Sunday afternoon and dozens of people began arriving at the grave to pay tribute and share thoughts about Moore. The burial mound was covered in white orchids, and roses and other flowers accented the site. A five foot statute of a seated female angel, arms folded on a raised knee, gazed out over the site, a row of newly planted White Birch trees just behind her.

“I didn’t know it (the funeral) was closed,” said Capperrune, who works as a makeup artist. “But it’s OK. I wanted to come and give tribute. I had to get here.”

Brief service

The funeral began before 11 a.m. as a procession of cars, including the hearse carrying Moore, entered the tree-lined cemetery off Bronson Road. A brisk wind blew at times, making the 40 degree temperature seem colder.

Mourners first entered a small white chapel near a bubbling brook for a brief service. Dressed in overcoats and black clothes, they then walked up a small grade to Moore’s grave site for the interment.

According to news reports, her family spent upwards of $200,000 on the angel statue that adorns her grave and purchased up to 12 grave sites to ensure everlasting privacy.

“It was very quiet, a small group,” said Fairfield Police Lt. James Perez, who was one of a handful of officers who provided protection and had an eyewitness view of the proceedings. He estimated about 50 people attended the funeral.

A small gaggle of reporters was kept at the entrance to the cemetery.

Although there were reports prior to the funeral that a number of big stars planned to attend, including Moore’s longtime friend, Betty White, Perez said the only celebrity he recognized was Bernadette Peters, who starred with Moore in the 1990 TV movie “The Last Best Year.”

“There was a brief service,” Perez said. “It’s a beautiful site that she’s at. It’s nice what the family did. It was a nice little send-off for her.”

‘Made me happy’

Ron Marshall, who lives near the cemetery, said he was so moved by Moore’s death that, on Saturday night he hung three homemade signs on the main gate to cemetery in tribute to the actress. The signs proclaimed “We Love You,” “Mary!!!,” and “Rest in Peace, Mary,” including a picture of the smiling actress.

“I went to dinner Saturday night and just said ‘I’m going to do this,’ ” Marshall said of the decision to hang the signs. “I did it by my car headlights.”

Marshall, an interior decorator, said he has been a fan of Moore for years and recalled how he once worked on Moore’s New York City apartment. He said when he met with the star to talk about the job she graciously invited him inside her apartment and gave him a Coke.

“She was just like she was on TV,” Marshall said. “We sat at her table and talked about the design. She was very nice.”

He said he admired how Moore always seemed to be smiling. “She made me happy,” he said.

Moore was born in 1936 in Brooklyn, N.Y., the oldest of three children, and at 8, she moved to Los Angeles with her family. At the time of her death last week, she was married to Dr. Robert Levine, who is 18 years her junior.